Episode 59 - Dave Hodges, On The Front Lines of The Decrim Movement This all new episode of the MAPS podcast takes you to a front row seat of the decriminalization movement with Dave Hodges, the founder of Zide Door which is the largest psilocybin church with a memebership of over 70,000 people. Dave's story made headline news when his church was raided in Oakland despite psilocybin being a low priority for law enforcement. Dave also takes us into his mysticaly prfound methods using high doses and shares with us the downloads he gets when in that space. This is wild one! Dave Hodges is the Founder of the Church of Ambrosia and Pastor for Zide Door, the Church of Entheogenic Plants in Oakland. He is known for starting the first medical cannabis club in San Jose and for his work with High Dose Mushrooms exploring the origins of religion. Dave has spent the past 15 years fighting legal cases to protect sacred plants he believes in. He is currently preparing for his next major legal fight, a federal lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department for the illegal raid on his Church and their violation of the church's religious freedom. Dave's work with Mushrooms to explore religion has led him to the high dose work. Mushrooms guided him from doing 5 to 30 dried grams in a signal dose. Dave now does between 15-25 grams regularly in an attempt to understand religion and the true nature of reality

Episode 58 - Rick Doblin, PhD - MAPS: Past, Present and Future This all new episode of the MAPS podcast needs no introduction. Our very own Rick Doblin beams in with Zach and takes us through an oral history of MAPS from the early fledgling days to the leader in psychedelic research that it is today. Also, the talk gets personal when Rick reminisces on memories of Timothy Leary, Laura Huxley and Ram Dass from the first Psychedelic Science conference in 1990. This interview is a beautiful glimpse into the history of psychedelic research and one mans passion for a mission that many said could not be fulfilled. It is not to be missed.  Rick Doblin, Ph.D., is the founder and executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). He received his doctorate in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where he wrote his dissertation on the regulation of the medical uses of psychedelics and marijuana and his Master’s thesis on a survey of oncologists about smoked marijuana vs. the oral THC pill in nausea control for cancer patients. His undergraduate thesis at New College of Florida was a 25-year follow-up to the classic Good Friday Experiment, which evaluated the potential of psychedelic drugs to catalyze religious experiences. He also conducted a thirty-four year follow-up study to Timothy Leary’s Concord Prison Experiment. Rick studied with Dr. Stanislav Grof and was among the first to be certified as a Holotropic Breathwork practitioner. His professional goal is to help develop legal contexts for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana, primarily as prescription medicines but also for personal growth for otherwise healthy people, and eventually to become a legally licensed psychedelic therapist. He founded MAPS in 1986, and currently resides in Boston with his wife and puppy, with three empty rooms from his children who have all graduated college and begun their life journeys

Episode 57 - Neil Woods, The Real Story Behind The War on Drugs The mighty, wise and brilliant Neil Woods joins Zach on this all new episode of the MAPS Podcast. Neil discusses his insights when he spent 13 years as an undercover drugs operative in the UK and how his experiences led to an awakening to course correct and lead the charge in fighting the war on drugs. Neil is a wonderfully eloquent speaker and story teller, you won't want to miss his one of a kind insight into a global war that has failed nearly everyone involved.  Neil is a former UK police officer and undercover drugs operative. Now he’s an active member of the international drug policy reform movement. He worked undercover between 1993 and 2007 befriending and gaining the trust of some of the most violent, unpredictable criminals in Britain.  With the insight that can only come from having fought on its front lines, Neil came to see the true futility of the War on Drugs - that it demonises those who need help, and empowers the very worst elements in society.  Neil is a board member of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) in the USA, and in the U.K. (LEAP UK).

Episode 56 - Charlotte James and Dre Wright - The Ancestor Project This all new episode of the MAPS Podcast dives deep with Charlotte and Dre from the Ancestor Project. Their mission statement is to integrate ancestral Sacred Earth Medicine wisdom into the modern journeyers’ experience to reduce harm and expand consciousness. We believe that Sacred Earth Medicine is key in liberating all oppressed peoples. The conversation with Zach explores the roots of how the psychedelic movement hasn't addressed the needs of BIPOC communities and what we can do to address that, keeping the traditions of indigneous cultures alive while also adapting for the modern world and how to provide equal barriers of entry for all those in need of healing through psychedelics.  Charlotte has been a harm reductionist and psychedelic explorer for over 10 years, but her path through this work has certainly not been linear. After leaving harm reduction years ago because of rapid burn out, she is returning to this work with a new energy - thanks to the power of healing with Sacred Earth Medicines. Undrea has been working to heal himself with sacred medicines for over 15 years. He is a cannabis entrepreneur that was instrumental in the decriminalization and medical bill passed in Maryland. He focuses on equity and inclusion in all healing work and communities.

Episode 55 - Teodor Gorbunov - Mushrooms, Magic and Russia This episode of the MAPS Podcast features an all new interview with Teodor who shares his story of discovering psychedelics in the coldness of the Russian politcal system, how he left Russia and went on to spread his knowlegde and love of psychedelic healing around the world.  Teodor Gorbunov is natural facilitator of psychedelic transformation. Born in Russia, he lived through the times of chaos and turmoil that followed the fall of Soviet Union, experienced traumatizing, life-altering hardships. After discovering the therapeutic qualities of psilocybin, he used it for personal healing and restructuring his personality, which was followed by a natural desire to share the medicine with humanity and establishing underground psychedelic therapy practice in Siberia. After years of operation, he decided to endorse methods of psychedelic transformation and healing to public, just to discover that Russian society isn’t ready for such advanced technologies and joined Evolution Retreats team. Teodor is an expert in complementary preparation/integration psychedelic practices. He found the narrow road to personal healing and transformation without any guidance, and now he is passionate about providing guidance to others – so that the people can have best experience with psilocybin and life in general. Please visit evoretreats.com for more information.

Episode 54 - Victor Cabral, Psychedelics - Inequalities and Hope Victor sits down with Zach Leary to discuss psychedelic therapy and the need to address policy and awareness with the BIPOC community. Victor's personal story and expertise in plant medicines, indigenous origin stories and public policy can illuminate us all into how to be better stewards of the psychedelic movement for generations to come.  Victor is a collaborative and strategic leader who is making an impact on historical inequalities in his community and across the United States. Victor is the Founder of Dreamers of the Day LLC. and serves as the Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs for Fluence International Inc., a company that provides evidence-based training in psychedelic therapy and integration services to clinicians across the globe. Before joining Fluence, Victor served as Deputy Director for the Pennsylvania Governor's Office of Advocacy and Reform where he co-led the implementation of the Trauma-Informed PA Plan, helped establish the first Racial Day of Healing in Pennsylvania history, and developed free trauma trainings for Pennsylvanians in collaboration with internationally recognized experts. He has expertise in policy and advocacy, BIPOC mental health, racial and communal trauma, and psychedelic medicine. He is a Licensed Social Worker and practicing psychotherapist in Pennsylvania with training in Internal Family Systems, Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy and Psychedelic Integration.

Episode 53 - Oteil Burbridge - Music, Mystics and Magic This all new episode of the MAPS Podcast features an all new wild, magical and deep interview with the great Oteil Burbridge. One of the great bass players of the modern era, Oteil shares lessons on life, the death of his father, finding magic in music and re-introducing psychedelics into his life upon taking initation into the Grateful Dead legacy. This was one of the most exciting interviews for me to do and I hope you get a taste of what makes Oteil such a special human. being.  Two-time Grammy winning bassist Oteil Burbridge has been in the music business touring and recording for over three decades. His first step into the national spotlight came in 1991 when he became a founding member of the Aquarium Rescue Unit featuring Col. Bruce Hampton, a cult classic that has stood the test of time. That led to his membership in the classic rock group The Allman Brothers Band. Since 1997, his work with the band has earned him two Grammy nominations for best rock instrumental, in 2003 and in 2004. Over the years, Oteil has shared the stage with rock and blues legends such as Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Levon Helm, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Billy Gibbons, Chuck Leavell, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Johnny Winter, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow and Trey Anastasio. In 2012, Oteil received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his 15 year contribution to the Allman Brothers Band as the longest running bassist in the band’s history.

Episode 52 - Juan Pablo Cappello - Rethinking The Future of Psychedelics JP from Nue Life stokes the fires in this all new interview to get us thinking about how the future of psychedelics needs adapt in order to serve all populations by not getting stuck in the status quo. JP is as sharp as he is thoughtful, this one is not to be missed. Juan Pablo utilizes his diverse background as a company builder, active tech investor, and lawyer to lead Nue Life’s team building and regulatory efforts. Juan Pablo co-founded The LAB Miami, Miami Angels, and PAG Law PLLC, and as an attorney, he practiced corporate law, focusing on derivatives and futures and mergers and acquisitions.

Episode 51 - Vince Kadlubek, Co-Founder of Meow Wolf This episode of the MAPS Podcast features an all new interview with creativity visionary Vince Kadlubek. As a co-founder of Meow Wolf, Vince will push your mind into new ways of thinking about the creative process and the future of story telling. Vince Kadlubek is a Founder of Meow Wolf, an art collective that has transformed into an award winning Art and Entertainment Production Company that specializes in immersive, open-world walk through experiences. Vince acted as leader and CEO for Meow Wolf though its formidable years, having created the business plan for Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return and leading the team towards the project's completion in March of 2016    

Episode 50 - Dr. Greg Fonzo, Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy at Dell Med This is the first time on the MAPS podcast that we've had an academic centers lead that is studying psycheelic research come on the show the very onset of their research center. Dr. Fonzo shares his visions, curiousity and hopes for what the new Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy at Dell Med will bring. This interview brings a mind opening perspective into psychedelic research and its implications for mental health. Greg Fonzo, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School.  He is also Co-Director of UT's newly launched Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy.  He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia Honors Program in 2005 with a dual bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology. He received his doctorate in clinical psychology in 2013 from the San Diego State University/University of California-San Diego Joint Doctoral Program. He completed his postdoctoral research fellowship at the Stanford University School of Medicine.  Dr. Fonzo’s research focuses broadly on utilizing non-invasive neuroscience tools to understand mechanisms of affective disorder psychopathology and treatment and leveraging this understanding to improve clinical care and patient outcomes with neuromodulatory, psychotherapeutic, and psychedelic approaches.